Man Sticks Finger Into Table Saw To Test Incredible Safety Invention

Losing a finger to a table saw sounds like a living nightmare, but it happens all the time (as often as 10 times a day).

So inventor and amateur woodworker Steve Gass came up with a safety mechanism that can distinguish flesh from wood, stopping the saw blade within one one-thousandth of a second when it senses that a finger may be in harm's way.

Gass' system, called the SawStop, can be installed into table saws or other woodworking equipment. It works by sending an electrical current through the blade into the material that is being sliced.

Dry wood does not conduct electricity, but the human body does. Once the machine detects a conductive surface, the blade immediately stops (You can deactivate the system to cut conductive materials, like aluminum).

Of course the force needed to do this completely trashes both the blade and the safety mechanism. But you can get replacements for both, and there's no price tag you can place on holding onto all of your digits.